- Eight people lived in a sealed artificial ecosystem called Biosphere 2 for two years in the early 1990s to test self-sustaining life support, but faced severe oxygen depletion, CO2 rises, and pollinator losses.
- Despite being labeled a failure initially, Biosphere 2 provided critical ecological insights, revealing the importance of soil microbes, ecosystem interdependence, and the difficulty of replicating Earth's life-support systems.
- The experiment demonstrated that creating space colonies is extremely costly and complex, underscoring the irreplaceable value of Earth's natural ecosystems and the need to protect our planet.
- Today, Biosphere 2 is used as a research facility to study climate change effects, such as drought impacts on rainforests and ocean acidification on corals, offering predictive ecological experiments.
- The project's legacy highlights that bold, large-scale experiments are vital for understanding environmental processes and fostering a deeper appreciation for sustainable living within Earth's biosphere.